The Latest Palais Galliera Exhibition Views Fashion from the Back

An unexpected vantage guides Dos à la Mode—Back Side/Fashion from Behind, the newest exhibition at the Palais Galliera—formally, the Fashion Museum of the City of Paris. Centered on perceptions of the “back,” both historical and modern, the exhibit brings light to this often-overlooked perspective on fashion. Opening Friday, the show’s back-facing lens offers a novel contrast to the frontal visibility of social media and “selfie” culture. “The back is an unconscious medium of personal expression,” curator Alexandre Samson tells CR. “It is the only part of your body that everyone can see better than you do.”

In a thematic approach, Dos à la Mode surveys the back’s place in fashion history. Tracing from the 18th century to the present, key sections are “Wakes” for court and wedding trains and abstract volumes, “Burden” for backpacks, “Nudity” for open-back dresses, and “Marks” for patterns, inscriptions, and logos. Presented off-site at the Musée Bourdelle (as the Palais Galliera is closed for expansion), the exhibit draws from both museums’ collections of clothing and accessories—as well as sculpture, photographs, and film—to inform the culture of the showcase.

Among the exhibition’s earlier pieces are 19th century corsetry and 20th century camisoles. “These have gender-oriented details—only women have closures in the back,” says Samson. “This part of the body underlines the female status in the occidental world.” As time has moved on, the back has come to have a more visible presence. Exposed looks are shown in Jeanloup Sieff’s fashion photography, and Givenchy and Yohji Yamamoto’s open-back gowns from recent years. The back is elaborately decorated and embroidered in ‘90s ensembles from John Galliano and then Jean Paul Gaultier in the 2000s. Though nearly 50 years separate Prisunic’s 1967 “Wow” dress and Raf Simons’ back-patterned jacket for Spring/Summer 2015, the designers’ statements echo one another—the back is a place of fashion messaging, a surprising locale where style discovers itself.

Designers aim for awe-inspiring runway shows—both coming and going—and the back occupies a subtle yet significant place in their collections. Memorable exits were made by floral-printed and ruffled trains at the Yves Saint Laurent and Emanuel Ungaro collections for the Fall/Winter 1987 season. In recent years, trains have appeared in brocade at Carven Fall/Winter 2005 and with muted, grunge appeal at Marc Jacobs Fall/Winter 2006. Open-back designs, a staple of warm-weather attire, were on display in Celine’s cheeky cutouts for Spring/Summer 2005 and Valentino Haute Couture’s floral and chiffon gowns the following year. Also, backpacks have long marched down runways at the iconic houses of Chanel, Louis Vuitton, and Prada, and were just seen at menswear shows for Valentino, Armani, and Dior Men’s Spring/Summer 2020 collections.

Across fashion history, the place of the back has evolved greatly. It emerges from the imaginations of designers and onto runways—decorated, unencumbered, and uncovered. While its messages and patterns may be hidden, this limitation is not defining. The back is recognized for its ability to transform fashion through the styles of the ages.

Dos à la Mode—Back Side/Fashion from Behind will be on view at the Musée Bourdelle in Paris from July 5, 2019 until November 17, 2019.

A Part of Hearst Digital Media
CR Fashion Book participates in various affiliate marketing programs, which means we may get paid commissions on editorially chosen products purchased through our links to retailer sites.